Albert lewinson



A. LEWINSON.

SELF LOCKING CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED APII. 24. I9I9.

1 ,3 1 4:, 87 8 Patented Sept'. 2, 1919.

Ism

MS wm" w@ 'rlm coLuMBIA PLANQGRAPII C04. wAsIIINoTnN, n. c.

UNXT

.ALBERT LEWINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-LOCKING CONTAINER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application led April 24, 1919. Serial No. 292,389.

To all/whom t may concern:

IBe it known that I, ALBERT LEwINsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Containers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed to afford simple, inexpensive but eectivemeanswhereby packages of various kinds may be safely delivered at residencesand elsewhere without disturbing, or during the absence of, residents oroccupants. While applicable for the safe-guarding of .delivered goodsand merchandise generally, mydevice is especially adapted for thereception and retention of milk, groceries, and even mail matter, athouses, apartments, stores, etc.,- in fact anywhere where it isnecessary or desirable to leave packages to be subsequently acquired bythe owners or purchasers.

The invention consists essentially in utilizing the weight of a packagedeposited 1n the container or receiver to automatically shut and lockthe door to the inlet or deposit aperture, as hereinafter more fully setforth and claimed specifically. An incidental feature also involves theclosure of the back or delivery aperture of the container by` means of adoor, or window, adjacent to the container.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1,is a'front view of my self locking container applied to andsupported upon the frame of a door;

Fig. 2, is a vertical section thereof taken upon plane of line ca -m,Fig. l; showing the parts in normalposition;

Fig. 3, is a like section showing the inlet door opened for theinsertion of a package;

Fig. 4, is a like section showing the inlet door closed and locked bythe weight of a package;

Fig. 5, is a horizontal section of the container taken upon plane ofline y-fy, Fig. 2.

The container C, is a box-like receptacle which is secured to andsupported upon the frame F, of a door or window, in such position andrelation to the same that when the door or window is shut it will closethe rear or delivery aperture 0, of said compartment C. In theaccompanying drawings the container is shown as screwed to the frame F,of a door D, although any rear closure may be substituted therefor asmay be found most expedient in adapting the device to the varyingconditions and requirements of use.

The front inlet vor deposit aperture 0, of the compartment C, is closednormally by a door b, hinged to a sill c2, spring hmges h, it,beingpreferably used for, the pur ose which tend constantly to maintainthe oor in such normal position, while allowing it to be opened my meansof the handle b', unless locked as hereafter described.

The inlet door b, is formed with a rear extension b2, below the sill c2,and line of the hinges h, h, said `extension b2 being inside of andreaching nearly to the bottom of the compartment C, and having pivotallyconnected to it a shelf or false bottom b3, as indicated at b, or anyother suitable articulatory connection between the false bottom b3, andthe inlet door extension b2, may be Vresorted to with like result.

When the inlet door b, is closed this shelf or false bottom b3, restsagainst a spring s, attached to the bottom c, of the container C, and inthe absence of any excess of pressure exerted by the false bottom b3,against the resistance of the spring s, the latter sustains the saidfalse bottom b3, in such position that its rear edge b", is clear of,and out of contact with, the lower rear wall o, of the container C, asshown in Fie'. 2, so that the inlet door b, may be opened, as in Fig. 3,for the insertion of a package. When the door b, is thus opened the'false bottom b, rests against a stop b", attached to the extensionbef-said stop b, being so positioned that when the `inlet door b, isclosed as in Figs. 2 and 4, it is clear of the false bottom b3, leavingthe latter free to adapt itself to the action of the spring s.

The presence of a weight W, on the false bottom b3, sufficient toovercome the resistance of the spring s, forces the rear edge b", of thesaid false bottom b3, into contact with the lower rear wall c4, of thecompartment C, as shown in Fig. 4:, so that the inlet door b, cannotthen be opened, because a pull upon the handle b', will only press saidrear edge b", of the false bottom with still greater force against therear wall c, of the compartment C. Hence the inlet door b, cannot bere-opened until the wei ht W, is removed through the' rear or eliveryaperture c, of the container; and if said delivery aperture c, is closedby a door D, or equivalent means it is obvious that the Vweight W, 4)which represents symbolically any package to be delivered, cannot beremoved until such door lor 'other closure is withdrawn from the rear ofthe container C. When however thefweightcW, is lifted fromV the false'bottomV b3, the

spring L ,`immediately rreasserts itself'and rePV turns the false bottomb?, to the normal position shown in Fig.72, therebyallowing the inletdoor b, to be again swung open when desired,VV as hereinbefole Setforth.

VI have herein shown the use Aof a ,flat

i spring s, onathe bottom of the container C,

for supporting the false bottom b3, in normal position :with Vitsrearedge b", out of contactiwith the rear wallof the container,althoughVV any otherV form of spring may be r substituted that willperformY a like func- 'Y may .be noted inthis :connection that the A'false lbottom b9', articularly connected 'to theV tion, so thatjI donot limit myself fin this respect, the vessential feature being meansthatlwill'eect the releaseof the false 1botl tom when vthe weight W, fisremoved. `It

extension b2,`orf the inlet door b, acts substantially as a lpawlprovided with an autoV Vmatic springl release, and that the door b,

and itsV extensionv b2, act asa leverof the first order in hrelation tothe false bottom.

Furthermoregthe locking'as well as the re-V lease is effectedautomatically,-the locking by thel simple insertion ofthe package 1 W,and the Vrelease bythe removal thereof.

The device isinexpensive, `simple 'both in constructionjand operation,and the operativepartsfew and fullyinclosed and l.pro-V tected by thecontainer.

v VWhat I claim as'my invention and desire.V to secure by Letters Patentis,

' 1. Aself-locking containerfof the character designated, comprising a'compartment havinganinlet aperture and a delivery aper-VV sionVandjadafpted when weighted to contact the closure is open.

ture,la hinged closure, for the inlet aperture,- formed withjan offset?eXtension beyond its hinge, `within the compartment, a false bottomarticu'larly connected with said eXtenwith the inner wall of saidcontainerto pre#- vent .opening -of said closure, said falsezbottombeing-ofa length substantially equal to the distance between saidhingeand'the Cinner face of said wall, and resilient means mounted onthe floor of the compartment and acting onY the under face of said false.bottom for effecting release ofthe Yfalse bottom when the weight isremoved therefrom.

2. A self-locking containeryof` the char-y acter designated, comprising`a compartment having an inlet aperture and a delivery. aperture, ahinged closure for theinlet Vaperture formed with an extension,beyondits hinge,

with-in the compartment, a false bottoni ar'- ticularlyconnected withsaid `eXtens'ion and adapted when Weighted to Contact with the innerVwall of said container to prevent openof. a length Vsubstantially,equal tothe disf ingfof said closure, said false bottom being tancebetween :said hinge andtheV inner face ofV saidfwall, and a ystop onsaid' extension` against which the false bottomrests when 3. Aself-locking container lof the'character designated, comprising aVcompartment ticularlyfconnected with said extension and adaptedv whenweighted to contact with the inner wall'of saidcont'ainer to preventopen-- ing of said' closure, said false bottom being` ofxa lengthsubstantially equal A'to the distance between said hinge and theY inner4face of said wall, anda stop onfsaid extension against which thefalse'bottom rests when the closure isopen, Vsaid stop 'being posi!tioned vto :bef/ree from contactjwith said falseV bottom when the Saidclosure lis in Vitsl closed position.:

VV`Witne`sses e y. g

LEwis W l ALEXANDER, CHESTERl C. LAWRENQE.,

5 Copies of` thispatnt mayfbe obtained 'foi' i.ive cents each, byaddressing `che Commissioner of Tatents,

' Washington,l iD. C.

Y ALBERT LiiwiNsoN;

